Previous Conferences and Past Winners
Previous conferences
The 1st Conference in 1996 in Cartagena, Colombia, addressed the impact of the new multilateral trading system in the wake of the creation of the World Trade Organization.
The 2nd Conference in 1998 in Santiago, Chile, followed with a closer look at trade promotion tools.
At the 3rd Conference in 2000 in Marrakech, Morocco, 2,000 participants addressed the challenges of the digital economy and reviewed the challenges of public-private partnership and impact assessment.
The turbulent business environment was the theme of the 4th Conference in Beijing, China, in 2002.
At the 5th Conference in 2004 in St. Julian’s, Malta, participants focused on innovation and practical action as a response to rapid evolutions in global trade.
The opportunities and challenges for TPOs in global trade were discussed at the 6th Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2007.
The 7th Conference in 2008 in The Hague, the Netherlands, explored key issues for TPOs to remain competitive in the changing international marketplace.
The 8th Conference in 2010 in Mexico City, Mexico, addressed the impact of TPOs and how to improve and report on their efforts.
The 9th Conference in 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, explored the innovative approaches TPOs are implementing to meet the challenges of today’s new business environment and to prepare for the future.
Participants at the 10th Conference in 2014, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, focused on the role of TPOs in facilitating the internationalization process of SMEs. The emphasis was on linking trade and investment promotion activities.
The 11th Conference, Marrakech, Morocco, in 2016, focused on the impact and implications on trade, investment and employment imposed by digital technologies, global value chains of the future and the emergence of Africa as the next trade and investment destination.
The 12th Conference, Paris, France, in 2018 addressed the new role of TPOs as a connecting force for a broad range of actors to deliver seamless services through partnerships, adopting new business models, measuring and reporting on outcomes and impact, and investing in skills for the digital age.
The 13th World Trade Promotion Organizations Conference will take place in Accra, Ghana, in 2022.
Past winners
2004:
Uganda, Republic of Korea, Australia, Jamaica, Bulgaria and Colombia
2006:
Zambia, Finland, Mauritius, Mongolia and Chile
2008:
Afghanistan, New Zealand, Jamaica, Kenya and Costa Rica
2010:
Mauritius, United Kingdom and Brazil. Special mention and runners up: Armenia, Australia, Hungary and Malaysia
2012:
Uganda, Austria, Jamaica and Mexico; Special mention, second and third place: Switzerland, Dominican Republic, Zambia, Jordan, Lithuania; Benin, United Arab Emirates and France
2014:
Zambia, Mauritius and Mexico; Special mention: Lithuania and Spain
2016:
Costa Rica, France and Madagascar
2018:
Ghana, Nigeria, and Qatar
